Automobile accessory



Jul 8 1924.

J. MEDLE Y AUTOMOBILE ACCESS OBY Filed Dec'. 27. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

July 8, 1924- J. MEDLEY AUTOMOBILE ACCESSORY Z4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledDec. 2'7, 1923 IN VEN TOR.

TTONEY.

Patented July 8, 1924.

JAMES MEDLEY, OF IRONWOOD, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE ACCESSORY.

Application filed December 27, 1923. Serial No .j683,032

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1,. JAMES MEDLEY,

citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Ironwood, in the countyof Gogebic and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automo bile Accessories, of which the following is a.qspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. I

This invention relates to an automobile accessory and more particularlyto a receptacle adapted for attachment to the steering post of a vehicleand adapted to contain f a plurality of different articles which thedriver of the vehicle might desire at any time during his driving. i I iA further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter whichmay be readily attached to the'vehicle and which is freefrom metallic clamping bands encircling the steering post which renderit difficult of removal from the steeringpost. A still further object ofthe invention is T to provide a device of this character which may bevery cheaply produced and in which theparts may be formed by stamping.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for holdineither ci gars or cigarettes, the receptac e being so" constructed thatit may be readily length enedto accommodate cigars or shortened toaccommodate cigarettes as desired.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein 1- Figure 1 is aperspective View of a receptacle constructed in accordance with myinvention; I V

Figure '2 is a vertical sectional View '7 through the receptacle showingthe same applied to the steering post of a vehicle; 2

' Figure 3 is a perspective of the removable portion ofthe combinedcigarette and ci- Q gar-holder showing the construction of the same;

Figure fl: is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 1s a plan of the blank employed Figures8 and 9 illustratesuitable elastic members for. use in attaching the device to a steeringpost.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the receptacle includesa match box 10, a cigar or cigarette "holder 11, aremovable ash tray 12and means for supporting a small tin 13, such as ordinarly-employed forreceiving thevalvemechanisms of the inner tubes of tires. Thesereceptacles being of such small size are readily misplaced and sincewhen they are greatly neededthis misplacement is a source of constantannnoyance to the motorist. It will be obvious that the provision ofmeans for holding such devices where they are readily accessible isextremely desirous. The receptacle further alfords means, as at 14L and15, whereby it may be readily attached to the steering post 16 of thevehicle. p

The side walls of the receptacleslO and 11 and the supports for thereceptacles 12 and 13 are formed from a single sheet of metal 17, thecentral portion of which is flat as indicated at 18. This sheet isobtusely bent, as at '19 and 20, to form the outer walls 21 and 22 ofthe receptacles and 11 respectively. At the required distances from thebends 19 and the sheets are bent at right angles, as at 23 and 241-, andagain bent at right angles, as at 25 and 26, the second bends directingthe end portions. of the sheet back upon the inner face of the sheet sothat theymay be readily attached thereto as at 27 and 28. Between thebends 23 and 25 and 24 and 26, one end wall 28 and 29 respectively ofthe receptacles 10 and 11 is formed. Be-

tween the bends 25 and 26 andthe points of attachment 27 and 28, therear walls 30.

and 31 of the receptacles 10 and 11 are pro- 7 vided. The remainingendwalls of the receptacles. 10 and 11 are formedbythose portions of thestraight centralportion of the sheet lying between the points ofattachment 27 and 28 and the1bends 19 and 20 res ectively. p V I y f topposed points in the flat portion 18 of the sheet 17 portions 32 arestruckout from the sheet and from the rear thereof,

these portions being left attached to the sheet and being 'bentback uponthe front of the sheet to provide opposed hooks 33 receiving a flange 34formed upon the side edges ofthe ash receiver v12. Adjacent the 1 f the,fiat portion other portions empties; The sheet 18 has further struckout portions 36 which arebent upon the rear face of the sheet to provideopposed *h'obks 37 receiving the side edges of the "receptacle 13.Midway its length a further portion "38 is struck out to provide a ledge"3'9 forthe receptionof the lower ed e of the receptacle 13 so that thereceptaele is supported against downward movement. The'opening formedbystriking out the portion 38 isof such size that when the ash receiver 12is removed an implement, such as-a pencil po1nt,lblade1 of a knife orthe like, can be readily inserted therethrough V, to elevate thereceptacle 13 to render the 25 same readily removable. The receptacle 12is of such size that all of theopenings formed bythe struck out.portions thereof are concealed behind the rear wall of the receptacle sothat they are not visible as long as the receptacle 12 is in position.

It is well-known to those familiar with the art that the steering post10 of a vc hicle is usually rather sharply inclined rearwardlyand itwill accordingly be obvious that some means must be provided for holdingthe receptacles in a vertical position. Thesemeans I provide byemploying upper and lower sheets 40 and 41. The upper sheet 410 isconstructed to provide a bridge piece-42 extending between the walls 30and 31 immediately rearwardly of the straight portion 18 of the plate.The for- .ward edge of this bridge piece is provided with a notch 43 ofa size permitting the introduction therethrough'of the receptacle 13.

The front edges 4 1 of the bridge piece are secured to-the upper edge ofthe plate 18 and the end edges 4L5. of the bridge piece are secured tothe upper edges of the rear walls 30-and 31 of the receptacles 10 and11. The sheet further embodies a tongue extending upwardly fromthe-bridge piece e2 at 'an acute angle. thereto, this tongue beingpreferablyrounded at its upper end as more clearly shown in Figure 1 toconform to the curvature of the steering post to sheet 1!. This bridgeportion, as compared to which it is to be applied. The lower sheet 41comprises a bridge portion 17 cured along its forward edge to-the un dered e of the straight portion 18 .of the with the bridge portion 120f thesheet 10,

is' of considerable width and his provided 8 upon its rear facewithnoutwardly extending portions 48 and 49 underlying thewalls of thereceptacles 10 and 11 andsecured thereto "along its margins.

The tongue 50 of the plate 41 is secured to the bridge portion thereofsimilarly to the tongue 46 of the plate 410, with the exception of thefact that it extends downwardly from the plate and is at an obtuse angleto the plate, this angle being complementary to the angle of In the freeend of each tongue portions of the tongue are struck out in the rearface thereof to provide upon the front face of the tongue opposed hooks51. In combination with a device of this kind I provide elastic bands 52or 53, the band 52 being simply an ordinary heavy rubber band procurableanywhere and the band 53 consists of a band of elastic having its endsbent back to provide loops 54. It will, of course, be understood thatthe elastic band 52, due to its continuous construction, is naturallyprovided with these loops. Such a band is stretched about the steeringpost and has the loops of its ends engaged with the hooks 51 ofthetongues 16 or 50 as the case may be and by its frictional engagementwith the steering post together with the pressure with which it causesthe tongue 46 or 50 to bear against the steering post holds thereceptacle in fixed position upon the steering post and at'thesame timeadmits of their ready removal therefrom.

The receptacle 10 is intended for the reception of matches preferablycontained within a box and in order that the matches may be struckwithout removal of the'box from the receptacle. If the matches employedare v safety matches a section is cut out from the plate 18 between thebend 19 and point of attachment 21 exposing one striker side wall 55 ofa match box 56 disposed in this receptacle. Furthermore, the front face21 of the receptacle is preferably provided with a corrugatedporthion'57 permitting the striking of the matches thereon. The receptacle 11 isintendedfor the reception of'either'cigars or cigarettes. It will beobvious that where this receptacle is made of a height' suitable for thereception of cigars a package of cigarettes disposed within thereceptacle would be so far removed from the top thereof as to render itsaccess diflicult. It will furthermore be obvious that if this recepta'cle were of the proper height for the reception of cigarettes,cigars disposed within the receptacle would shift about and be broken orlost from the receptacle par- 'ticularly as'their movement was reduced.

I accordingly make the walls of this recep-..

tacle of a height proper to the reception of a standard package ofcigarettes and pro vide in conjunction with thisreceptacle a holder 58for receiving cigars. This holder consists of a single strip of metalhavi'ngits central portion 59 provided with a series of openings 60 of asize suitable to permit passage therethrough of cigars but preventingexcessive movement of a cigar engaged therein. The ends of the sheet arebent downwardly, as at 61, bent inwardly, as at 62, and againdownwardly, as at 63, thus providing a ledge 64 engaging against theupper end walls of the receptacle 11 at each end of the holder anddownwardly extending tongues 65 engaging the side walls of thereceptacle 11. These tongues 65 are ettes in the holder instead ofcigars.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a device constructed inaccordance with my invention may be very cheaply produced and requiresbut little change in applying the, same to steering posts havingdifferent inclinations. Where the difi'erence in inclination is but'slightthis may be effectedby bending the tongues L6 and 50 to agreewith the new angle. Where this change is excessive this may beaccomplished by increasing the size of the bridge piece of the lowerplate 41 to the desired extent. 7 It will also be obvious that thedevice is very readily removed from or attached to the steering post andaccordingly will not interfere in making of repairs or the like in anyway whatsoever. Since the bands employed for attaching are resilientthey readily conform to the shaping of the steering post and give a goodcontact thereto throughout the surface so that there is little, if any,tendency of the receptacle to slip. It will furthermore be obvious thatthe construction of the device as hereinbefore set forth is capable of acertain range of change and modificatlon without materially departingfrom the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself tosuch specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim d 1. In combination with a receptacle, means for attaching thereceptacle in a vertical position to an inclined columnar supportincluding upper and lower plates associated with the receptacle, thelower plate being the wider, an upwardly extending tongue formed on theupper plate and a downwardly extending tongue formed upon the lowerplate, said tongues being aligned one with another and being at an angleto the receptacle equal'to the angle of the columnar support to thevertical, and means carried by said tongues and passing about thesteering post to secure the same thereto. 7 2. A combination" receptaclecomprising a sheetof metal formed centrally to provide a flat section,the ends of the sheet being bent rearwardly from the flat portion andthen back upon the flat portion to combine therewith to form theside andend walls of a pair of receptacles, and a plate secured to the loweredges of the sheet enclosing the bottoms of the receptacles;

3. A combination receptacle comprising a sheet of metal formed centrallyto provide a fiat section, the ends of the sheet being bent rearwardlyfrom the flat portion and then back upon the flat portion to combinetherewith to form the side and end walls of :3

a pair of receptacles, and a plate secured to the lower edges of thesheet enclosing the bottoms of'the receptacles, said plate embodyingmeans for attaching the receptacle to a support.

4. In combination with a receptacle, means for attaching the receptaclein a vertical position to an inclined columnar support includingupperand lower plates associated with the receptacle, the lower plate beingthe wider, an upwardly extending I struck out portions forming supportsupon the combined receptacle for further receptacles on opposite facesof such central portion.

5. In combination with a receptacle, means for attaching the receptaclein a vertical position to an inclined columnar support including upperand lower plates associated with the receptacle, the lower plate beingthe wider, an upwardly extending tongue formed on the upper plate and adownwardly extending tongue formed upon the lower plate, said tonguesbeing aligned one with another and-being at an angle to the receptacleequal to the angle of the col.- umnar support to the vertical, and meanscarried by said tongues and passing about the steering post to securethe same thereto,

their ends with loops, said tongues each emcomprising resilient bandsbeing provided at for engagement by the loops of said bands,

the central portion of said sheet having :struck out portions formingsupports upon the combined receptacle for further. receptacles onopposite faces otsuch central portion, a second plate secured along itsfront edge to the upper edge of the central portion of the sheet and atitsside edges to the back end portions of the sheet, said second platehaving a notch formed therein permitting positioning of the receptacleinthe :supports upon the rear of the central por- ,tion.

6. In combination with a receptacle, means for attaching the receptaclein a vertical position to an inclined columnar sup port including upperand lowerpla-tes associated with the receptacle, the lower plate beingthe Wider, an upwardly extending tongue formed on the upper plate and adownwardly extending tongue formed upon the lower plate, said tonguesbeing aligned one with another and being at an angle to the receptacleequal to theangle of the columnar support to the vertical, and meanscarried by said tonguesa'nd passing about the steering post to securethe samethereto, comprising resilient bands being provided at their endswith loops, said tongues each embodying a pair of oppositely directedhooks for engagement by the loops of said bands, the central portion ofsaid sheethaving, struck out portions forming supports upon the combinedreceptacle .for further re- 35 ceptacles .on ,oppositefaces of suchcentral portion, a second plate secured along its frontedge to the upperedge of the central portion of the sheet and at its (side edges to theback end po-rtionsof the sheet, said second platehaving a notclrformedtherein per- 'mitting positioning of the receptacle in the supports uponthe 'rearof the central portion, the last named plate being provided .aheight approximating the height of the standard cigarette package, andmeans insertible in said receptacle providing above the receptacle aplate bridging the top of the receptacle and having a plurality ofopenings for the reception of cigars, said means embodying resilientside sections engaging the end walls of the receptacle, the sidesections having shoulders forming stops to limitthe movement thereofinto the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I hereuntoaifix my JAMES j MEDLEY.

signature.

